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Duke Basketball

BDN Interview – Chris Collins talks Team USA, Coach K, Durant and more

DURHAM -  BDN sat down with Duke Assistant Coach Chris Collins upon his return from Istanbul where the United States reclaimed the top spot in the FIBA world rankings.  Collins talks a bit about his experiences, Kevin Durrant, Coach K and how the team came together as time progressed.

Well, you guys did it again!  A Gold Medal, National Championship and a another Gold Medal all in consecutive fashion is pretty impressive.  The team came together to beat Turkey and several other good  teams along the way.  It had to be a great experience.

To go over there and win in an international competition, one we haven't in a number years was a great accomplishment.  This was a different challenge than the Olympics where as a lot of guys decided not to play.   And we had some injuries early on as well.  We lost a number of the big men we expected to have and picked a group of guys who we thought would gel together.  They were hungry and anxious  to represent our country  and what was cool is how you saw us continue to get batter as the tournament went on.  Guys got more familiar with each other, they got better, roles were developed and to win those last couple of games and have the Gold Medal game against Turkey in Istanbul was awesome.  I was just amazed at the job Coach K did, he was at his best again.

I noticed he was up off the bench coaching a lot.

Well, he had to.  We had a young group so he needed to have that fire and passion and that's what is great about him in that he knows what this team needs.  He needed to be animated and emotional and he did a good job getting these guys to come together for the gold.

Does it insult you a bit when some refer to this as the "B" team?

Yeah, I mean, I understand where it's coming from because we would have loved to have had some of the guys from the Olympics.  But when you talk about a "B" team they were still pretty good and we used that to our advantage.  Those guys, they had a chip on their shoulder.  They knew they were good players and they went out and showed it. Any naysayers or people predicting other teams to win, well, we talked about it and used it to our advantage.

Photo courtesy of MVN

Can you talk a bit about the play of Kevin Durant?

He's a special player, but he's as good a person.  There is no baggage with him there is no hoopla, he's just a young guy who wants to get better and win.  Late at night even after games he would go to the gym and just work on his shot.  To see what he can do at such a young age is knowing he can go down as one of the greatest players to ever play the game.

From afar, Coach K seemed to really bond with him [Durant], as if he told him you cannot be stopped.

Yeah.  As we put the team together everybody knew from day one he had to be the man.  Especially offensively but early on he wanted to share the ball and get it to others.  But a combination of Coach K and the older guys on the team like Lamar Odom and Chancey Billups told him you need to be the guy and that we are going to go to you and go through you.  That allowed him the confidence to just be himself and stay lose and what he did was amazing.

How about the play of Andre Igoudala?  That had to please your Dad.

Yeah.  It was fun to watch him play and he will of course play for my Dad in Philadelphia.  He's a guy on the Sixers who will take a lot of shots and score.  But on this team he was the defensive stopper and he relished the role and sacrificed for the team.  He was a glue guy with rebounds and steals.  He made a lot of little plays which helped us win.

If you follow Duke, Team USA looked like Duke in the end.

A lot of our defensive principles were the things we teach here at Duke.  It took a lot of practice because in the NBA they have different rules with illegal defenses.  It took a lot of practice and reps to gain the habits defensively.  We knew we would be smaller so we had to win with our quickness and so we really pressured the ball and those are staples of how we play here at Duke.  So, yes, I would say it is was similar in how we play at Duke.

When you guys returned to Durham did the current Duke players want to talk about your experience and what happened?

Oh, yeah.  Oh yeah.  All young players aspire and want to be pros.  I think we've created a situation, Coach K and Mr. Conlangelo have created a situation where the excitement to play for your country again is at an all time high.  It wasn't as cool to play for the USA a few years ago but you are now seeing pride in all age groups and they want to play for their country.  That is what is important here in that the pros and younger kids want to play for Team USA and represent their country.

At one time there was a ridiculous notion that Krzyzewski coaching Team USA would hurt Duke and basketball recruiting. Can you talk about how silly that notion was, especially in hindsight?

[laughs] Well, we don't pay any attention to that.  I mean we didn't miss anything.  You may miss a little of the open period in July but all the guys know what he is doing.  He is coaching the pro guys.  He's coaching Kevin Durant, he's coaching LeBron James and Kobe Bryant.  We learn so much from those guys so when we talk to recruits or our own players we say this is what we learned from a Kevin Durrant sharing that with them.  Young players see just what kind and how good of a coach --  Coach K is.

Duke Football

Duke DB Matt Daniels prepares for the Alabama Crimson Tide

Duke DB Matt Daniels strikes a pose for BDN Photo

DURHAM, N.C. - As Durham prepares for an invasion of Crimson clad Alabama fans, the Duke Football team met with the media today.  BDN caught up to defensive back Matt Daniels and he discussed the opportunity that playing the countries top rated team afforded the Blue Devils.

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Duke Football

Taking a look at early season statistics

Two weeks into the 2010 season, with the Blue Devils off to a 1-1 start with a 41-27 victory at home over Elon in the opening game, and a 54-48 loss to Wake Forest on the road, it is appropriate to take a look at statistical rankings for answers to a couple of basic questions. In which areas is Duke being successful? In which areas does Duke need to show improvement?

All statistical rankings quoted throughout this article are from www.theacc.com and www.ncaa.com.

In which areas is Duke being successful?

1. Total offense: In the first two games of the season, Duke has demonstrated a potent offensive attack racking up 514.5 yards per game, which is number one in the ACC and number nine out of 120 teams in the NCAA. Duke is number two in the ACC and number six in the NCAA in passing offense (354 yards per game) and number three in the ACC and number 20 in the NCAA in scoring offense (44.5 points per game).

2. Time of possession: at 32:10 per game, Duke is number three in the ACC and number 31 in the NCAA. With an effective offense, led by talented sophomore Sean Renfree, and questionable depth along the defensive line, Duke is a team which needs to have its offense on the field more than its defense. The time of possession statistic will be a critical indicator of Duke’s ability to be fresh in the 4th Quarter of ball games, and being fresh in the 4th Quarter will set Duke up to finish games strong.

3. Third down conversions: the offense needs to keep drives alive in order to score points and keep the opponents defense on the field. Duke is number one in the ACC with a 55.2 percent success rate (16 of 29) on third down.

4. Red zone offense: taking advantage of scoring opportunities is vital to success. Duke currently sits tied with Wake Forest at number one in the ACC and tied at number one in the NCAA (with 34 teams) with 100 percent success in the red zone. Duke has had the ball in the red zone 10 times scoring seven touchdowns and three field goals.

5. First downs: Duke is number one in the ACC and number five nationally with 54 first downs. The Blue Devils have passed for 34, rushed for 15, and had five awarded by penalty.

In which areas does Duke need to show improvement?

1. Total defense: Duke is number 12 in the ACC and number 105 in the NCAA allowing 453 yards per game. Opponents are averaging 177 yards on the ground and 276 through the air on Duke’s defense. The defense must toughen up and slow down future opponent’s offenses to increase the Blue Devils opportunity to win the football game.

2. Scoring defense: When you score 48 points in a game and lose it is obvious your defense didn’t slow down the opponent’s ability to put points on the scoreboard. Duke is number 12 in the ACC and number 114 in the NCAA giving up 40.5 points per game. The number 11 ranked team in the ACC, Wake Forest, is 10 points better than Duke at 30.5 points per game. Duke must reduce the number of points they are allowing.

3. Opponent first downs: Again Duke is number 12 in the ACC having given up 48 first downs to their first two opponents. Those numbers equate to a NCAA ranking of 108.

4. Red zone defense: Duke’s first two opponents have ventured into the red zone six times and scored six times, five touchdowns and a field goal.

5. Turnover margin: Duke’s plus/minus on turnovers is zero. However, with the challenges the Blue Devils face stopping opponent’s offenses, this number needs to be significantly positive. Wake Forest capitalized on Duke turnovers by scoring 21 points, while Duke did not convert the Demon Deacon’s turnovers into points.

Moving on to individual performances, there are three Blue Devils with noteworthy national rankings.

1. Sean Renfree: Passing yards – number two in the ACC and number four in the NCAA with 354 yards per game. Passing efficiency - number one in the ACC and number 20 in the NCAA with a QB rating of 159.4.

Renfree is off to an All-America quality start to the season. He is a very talented quarterback with a bright future.

2. Conner Vernon: Receiving yards per game - number two in both the ACC and NCAA with 155 yards per game. Receptions per game - number one in the ACC and tied for number four in the NCAA with nine receptions per game.

Like Renfree, Vernon is off to an All-America quality start to the season. Watching Sean Renfree throw the ball to Conner Vernon is going to provide Duke fans with much pleasure this season.

3. Desmond Scott: All-purpose yards - number two in the ACC and number 20 in the NCAA with 166.5 yards per game. Rushing yards - number one in the ACC and number 36 in the NCAA with 99.5 yards per game. Desmond Scott’s speed and strength provide Duke with an opportunity to maintain a semblance of balance on offense. Scott’s rushing yards per game could be the single most important offensive statistic for Duke football in 2010.

Duke’s rankings in these and other statistical categories will certainly fluctuate throughout the season so be sure and check back with Blue Devil Nation as we will update this article on a weekly basis to track the Blue Devils team and individual performances during the 2010 football season.

Duke Football

Cutcliffe recaps the Wake game and talks Alabama

Two hours prior to each home game Coach Cut and his team walk from the Chapel to Wallace Wade Stadium which is called the Blue Devils Walk. It would be great time to get to the game early and support the team as the cheerleaders, band and fans line up to show their support. BDN Photo

DURHAM - BDN brings you the call in show from Sunday with Duke Coach David Cutlciffe in its entirety.  Coach talks a bit about the Wake Forest game but more about this weeks big match up with the number one ranked Alabama Crimson Tide.  Check out his comments which go on for thirty minutes via BDN Audio and bookmark Blue Devil Nation for the best football coverage on the web. 

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Side Note - We had some technical issues with player interviews after the Duke-Wake Forest game and were unable to save them, thus the lack of post game player interviews this week.  We'll be covering the Bama at Duke happenings all week long and into gameday, so sign up for BDN Twitter and we'll send you updates as they happen.  You can also send your game predictions for this weekends game through twitter and the closest pick to the actual score wins a one month premium membership trial run.

Duke Football

BDN Previews Duke at Wake Forest

Desmond Scott takes a hand off from Sean Renfree - BDN, Lance King Images

After a good effort and a win in week 1, Coach Cutcliffe and the Blue Devils kick off the ACC season early with a trip to Winston-Salem in week 2. The oddsmakers have Duke as 6 point underdog, and a win against the Demon Deacons Saturday would be big for the program. The game will be televised by Raycom Sports in ACC markets, and is also available online at espn3.com.

Duke in Week 1

The Duke Blue Devils got off to a 1-0 start in the 2010 season with a 41-27 win over a pesky Elon team. Sean Renfree was 31 of 39 in his first career start at QB, totaling 350 yards and 2 touchdowns. Ten of his passes went to sophomore Conner Vernon, who ended the game with 129 yards in receptions, while junior Donovan Varner finished with 7 catches and 123 yards. Desmond Scott led the Blue Devil ground game with 77 yards; freshmen Josh Snead and Juwan Thompson also were impressive in limited roles. The defense allowed over 400 yards of offense to Elon, but forced two turnovers and came up with key stops in the red zone, which ultimately led to the victory.

Wake Forest in Week 1

Wake Forest defeated Presbyterian, 53-13, on Thursday. Wake Forest has returned to a more traditional Jim Grobe-style, dominating the game with physical play at the line of scrimmage. The Demon Deacons rushed for 6 touchdowns and 415 yards, while giving up just 70 yards on the ground to the Blue Hose. Sophomore QB Ted Stachitas finished with 76 yards on 10 carries, and the Deacs averaged 8.3 yards per carry as a team. Wake Forest didn’t show much in the passing game, completing just 10 of 24 passes for 94 yards, but will continue to develop their two young quarterbacks throughout the season. Defensively, the Deacs allowed 292 passing yards to winless Presbyterian, but did come away with 4 sacks and an interception returned for a touchdown.

Analysis

This is one of the most intriguing matchups of the season, for a number of reasons. Duke and Wake Forest are two of the top private schools in the Atlantic Coast Conference, with student-athletes who standout both on the field and in the classroom. The head coaches are two of the most likable guys in the ACC, have a great deal of mutual respect for each other, and both have demonstrated a strong commitment to their respective programs. An even closer look shows that the rosters feature 10 players who were high school teammates, and a number of others who were high school rivals. The significance of this overlap is not lost on Coach Grobe, who pointed out, “when you have a lot of kids that have played against each other in high school and in some cases gone to school with each other, I think it stirs things up a little bit.” Both teams are breaking in first-year starting quarterbacks, and have questions on the defensive side of the ball. The matchup is intriguing as much for the similarities as for the differences. Wake Forest features one of the best running games in the conference, while Duke boasts one of the most potent passing offenses. In recent years, Wake Forest competed for ACC championships while the Blue Devils struggled.

We will probably learn a lot more about whether Duke is ready to compete for a bowl game in 2010 in week 2 than we did in week 1. Can Sean Renfree lead the Duke offense in a big ACC road game? Have Duke’s young running backs improved significantly from a year ago? Can Duke’s new, aggressive defensive strategy bring pressure without giving up big plays? Can Duke’s defensive front consistently stop a potent running attack? This last question, in particular, may be most relevant, as the Blue Devils will face several prolific rushing offenses in 2010.

Duke will look to get out to an early lead against Wake Forest, and the Demon Deacons’ secondary should be no match for Sean Renfree and Duke’s ACC-leading receivers. Duke’s young running backs will face a stiff test in the Wake Forest defense, but will have to break open a few runs to balance the offense. Defensively, if Wake Forest is able to run the ball and control the clock, it will be a long day for the Blue Devils’ defense. The Blue Devils will have to match the Wake Forest physicality at the line of scrimmage, and will have to force defensive stops, as the Demon Deacs are unlikely to turn the ball over on the ground. If the Blue Devils can force the inexperienced Wake Forest quarterbacks into passing situations, they will have a good chance of forcing turnovers and stops. It is likely to be a busy day for the Blue Devil linebackers, who will need to get penetration at the line of scrimmage and bring pressure against Wake Forest’s running backs and quarterbacks. In what is likely to be a close game, any mistakes in the kicking game will be costly; both Duke and Wake Forest missed field goals in week 1. Both teams have dangerous playmakers as return men, which will put kick coverage and field position at a premium.

Ultimately, as in every game, the outcome will be mostly based on the team that wins the battles at the line of scrimmage and makes the fewest mistakes.

Check out watzone's game preview with a Duke slant at Raycom Sports.com by clicking here

BDN Prediction

While many may have circled September 18 and the visit from the reigning national champion Crimson Tide as an important game on Duke’s schedule, those close to the program circled September 11. It’s no secret that the Demon Deacons have had the Blue Devils’ number, wining 10 straight meetings between the two schools. In fact, Wake Forest Coach Jim Grobe has never lost to Duke, despite several close games in recent years.

Duke has ended several unsightly streaks during David Cutcliffe’s tenure, and Saturday could bring the end to another. In what is likely to be an exciting, high-scoring contest, the BDN consensus/cumulative pick is Duke 35 Wake Forest 34

Duke Football

Duke DL Charlie Hatcher knows the Duke-Wake series well

Charlie Hatcher, Duke Univ. Photo

DURHAM - One of the keys for Duke against Wake Forest will be their ability to control the Deacons running attack.  Part of that responsibility will lie on the shoulders of Duke defensive lineman Charlie Hatcher who sat down with BDN to share his thoughts on gameweek.  Check out what Hatcher had to say as BDN continues to cover the Duke Football Beat.

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